Ever notice how change feels exciting for about… three days?

 

You start strong.

Meal prep. Work out. Drink water. Go to bed early.

 

Then life happens.

 

Suddenly you’re back in old patterns thinking:

 

“Why can’t I just stick with this?”

 

Here’s the truth most people miss:

 

You don’t rise to your goals.

You fall back to your identity. 

 

If you still see yourself as:

 

• “bad with food”

• “not disciplined”

• “always busy”

• “not a morning person”

• “someone who starts but doesn’t finish”

 

 

…then your brain will quietly steer you back there.

 

Not because you’re lazy.

 

Because your brain protects what feels familiar.

 

So instead of chasing motivation…

 

👉 Change who you believe you are. 

 

Here’s the simple framework I use with coaching clients to shift identity in a practical, real-life way — without relying on willpower.

 

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Step 1 — Meet the “Old You”

 

 

Before you change anything, get honest.

 

Give your old identity a name.

 

Seriously.

 

It creates distance so you stop saying “this is who I am” and start saying “this is just a pattern.” 

 

Examples:

 

• Late-Night Snacker Rob

• Overbooked Rob

• “I’ll start Monday” Rob

 

 

Then ask yourself:

 

• What does this version of me do every day?

• What excuses do they use?

• What do they avoid even though they know it matters?

• If nothing changes for 2 years… what does life look like?

 

 

No shame. Just awareness.

 

You can’t change what you pretend isn’t happening.

 

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Step 2 — Define the Future You (in the present tense)

 

 

Now flip it.

 

Write as if it’s already true.

 

Not:

❌ “I want to be healthier”

 

But:

✅ “I am someone who takes care of my body daily”

 

Then get specific.

 

 

List:

 

 

5 small daily habits (10 minutes or less) 

 

• walk after dinner

• protein at every meal

• water first thing

• stretch before bed

• prep tomorrow’s lunch

 

 

3 things you no longer do 

 

• skip meals

• scroll late at night

• “wing it” with food

 

 

1 non-negotiable rule 

Something so easy you could do it tired or busy.

 

Example:

 

“I always pack tomorrow’s lunch before bed.”

 

Simple > perfect.

 

This is where identity becomes real.

 

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Step 3 — Make Your Environment Agree

 

 

Here’s the part most people skip.

 

Your environment is currently designed for your old identity.

 

If the cookies are visible and the vegetables are hidden… guess what you’ll eat?

 

Discipline isn’t the problem.

 

Design is. 

 

Try this:

 

 

Remove

 

 

• junk food

• food delivery apps

• late-night screens in bedroom

 

 

 

Prepare

 

 

• lunches at night

• gym clothes out

• groceries pre-cut

 

 

 

Automate

 

 

• grocery delivery

• recurring workouts

• calendar blocks

 

 

 

Make visible

 

 

• water bottle

• supplements

• walking shoes

 

 

Rule of thumb:

👉 If it requires willpower, redesign the system.

 

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Step 4 — Remove Decisions

 

 

Decision fatigue is real.

 

Every “Should I…?” drains energy.

 

Instead:

 

Pre-decide once.

 

Examples:

 

• same breakfast daily

• workout time fixed

• weekly meal plan

• Sunday prep ritual

 

 

Now it’s not:

“Do I feel like it?”

 

It’s:

“It’s already decided.”

 

This alone changes everything.

 

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Step 5 — Make It Easier (not harder)

 

 

When habits feel hard, most people try to push harder.

 

Wrong move.

 

Shrink the habit instead.

 

Ask:

What’s the 2-minute version? 

 

• 30 min workout → 5 min stretch

• meal prep → cook just protein

• journaling → one sentence

• walk → around the block

 

 

Consistency beats intensity every time.

 

Small wins build identity faster than heroic efforts.

 

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Step 6 — Cast One “Identity Vote” Per Day

 

 

This is my favorite part.

 

Each day, choose ONE action that proves who you’re becoming.

 

Just one.

 

Ask:

 

“What would Future Me definitely do today?”

 

Do that.

 

Even if nothing else happens.

 

Because every action is a vote.

 

And enough votes create a new identity.

 

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The Simple Flow

 

 

If you remember nothing else, remember this:

 

1. Name the old you

2. Define the new you

3. Change your environment

4. Pre-decide actions

5. Make it easier

6. Cast one vote daily

 

 

That’s it.

 

No complicated system.

 

No perfect plan.

 

Just small proof, repeated.

 

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Ready to Try It?

 

 

If you want a little structure, I created a guided Identity Shift journal you can use to walk through this step-by-step.

 

👉 Download it here: [Insert your PDF link in Kajabi]

 

Or if you want support applying this to your nutrition, energy, and daily habits…

 

That’s exactly what we work on inside coaching.

 

Because lasting change isn’t about trying harder.

 

It’s about becoming someone who naturally does the right things.

 

— Rob